For Immediate Release:                                               December6,2012                                                                                             

Meida Contact:

Mehdi Okasi

617-588-1353 

mokasi@bfit.edu                                                                                                                                            

Citizen Schools Middle School Students Present on their Business Apprenticeship Program with Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology College Students

Boston, MA—December 6, 2012—From 3:00-3:30PM today, fifteen Dever-McCormack Middle School students from Dorchester will present their experience apprenticing with Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT) college students about how to start their own business at the Franklin Union on the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology campus (41 Berkeley Street).  

Automotive Management Majors (B.S.) enrolled in a Personnel Management course at BFIT volunteered their time in a 10-week seminar to teach Dever-McCormack Middle School students (a Citizen School partner) about entrepreneurship and starting their own business. This was a STEM apprenticeship. The middle school students applied for a loan (made by BFIT), designed a product (t-shirts) that were approved as part of their school uniform and are being sold to their classmates in order to raise money for a local non-profit organization. The middle school students who participated in Starting a Business Apprenticeship will present on what they learned in the past 10 weeks and how they will use these skills in the future. The presentation will be the culmination of 10 weeks of work and collaboration between the middle-school students and BFIT students.

Kristina Barger, the AmeriCorps representative housed on BFIT’s campus states that the program “is a perfect example of how beneficial the Citizen Schools apprenticeships can be to the middle school students and the apprenticeship teachers.  One BFIT student said, “I believe I made an impact on the kids. I was a role model. They learned how to stay focused and I taught them how to be confident in themselves and not to be afraid to say the wrong answer or ask questions.” The BFIT students all felt they had improved their public speaking skills and confidence. Many saw how this will help them in future leadership roles.”

ABOUT Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology is a private two-year nonprofit technical college of approximately 500 students in Boston’s South End neighborhood.  The College offers an array of programs leading to careers in automotive technology, computer technologies, engineering technologies, architectural technology, HVAC&R, electrical technology, and eye care fields leading to certificate, associate, and bachelor degree credentials.  Additional information about the College and its programs can be found online at www.bfit.edu. 

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